When you already have the record for fewest points in a D-1 game, what can you do when you want to raise the bar for offensive ineptitude? Go through an entire game scoring only two pointers.
A few weeks back, a great analytical basketball blogger (Ken Pomeroy) concluded that it was impossible for a team to go a whole game w/o making a 3-pointer or a free throw. He reached this conclusion soundly based on the following five facts:
1) The odds of not making a 3-pointer in a game: 100 to 1.
2) The odds of not making a single free throw in a game: 500 to 1.
3) If those were independent events, the odds of doing both in a game would be 50,000 to 1 (at this likelihood the feat would occur about once every 10 seasons). The odds of throwing a perfect game in baseball are about 20,000 to 1.
4) But teams that score only two at a time tend to fall behind ... way behind ... and launch more threes. The more you shoot 'em, the more likely you'll make at least one ... and miss out on the two-at-a-time feat. So, the odds are likely higher than 50,000 to 1.
5) In fact, over the past 5 years, no team had even gone 30 minutes into a game (i.e., 75%) w/o making a non-two pointer.
Against Richmond today, the glorious Billikens were 0-10 from the arc & 0-3 from the stripe. That's what I'm talking about! Nobody can not score like the Bills. Oh yeah. We lost 62-36 to a team we beat three weeks earlier.
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My other basketball team has a different problem. They can score. They can defend. They can block shots and even hit free throws most of the time. According the ratings systems that work, they are one of the top 40 teams in the country. They have a major problem, though. They are cursed.
If the ball goes out of bounds off an opponent ... right in front of the ref ... it will be called out on Louisville.
If a Louisville player gets elbowed while laying defenseless on the floor, the Cards will get two technicals to the other teams one.
If a Louisville opponent wanders onto the court while inbounding a ball, they will be given a do-over because of a procedural error.
If our coach is a scumbag, he will get extorted and undergo a scandal of near-biblical proportions.
If our biggest rival's coach is a scumbag, NBA first rounders will drop out of the sky to play at that school and they will become an odds-on favorite to win the title.
Frankly, there's some serious bad karma aligned against the Cards at this point. I'll keep watching and cheering, but I'm going into watching each game w/ the attitude ... how is this one going to be lost?
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On the bright side ... pitchers and catchers report in less than three weeks.
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6 comments:
Love the P&C thoughts at this time of year! Re BB just keep in mind the old adage "Coaches win and lose the close ones" I might have mentioned that one to you a time or two.
Coaches may win and lose the close ones, but in UL's case they get a lot of help from the men in stripes. At least the Billikens are not boring. It's always something with them. Mom
^^SPAM!^^
lol ^_^
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